[45.04] The Unusual Supernova 2002bo

In this project we have obtained UBVRI optical and JHK
infrared photometry of the unusual Type Ia supernova 2002bo,
which appeared in NGC 3190. Our dataset covers the time span
from 11 days before until 44 days after the time of B-band
maximum. We find a decline rate parameter of
\Deltam15(B) = 1.18 ± 0.04. We find the host
galaxy reddening to be E(B-V) = 0.38 ± 0.03 mag. The
Galactic reddening is E(B-V) = 0.025 mag. If it were not
for the reddening and extinction, SN 2002bo would have been
the brightest supernova of the past ten years.

We obtain a distance modulus of m-M = 31.64 ± 0.08.
This does {\em not} compare well with the distance modulus
of 32.66 ± 0.18 (Tonry et al. 2001), obtained from
surface brightness fluctuations of the host galaxy.
Alternately, we can derive the absolute magnitudes of SN
2002bo assuming that the SBF distance is correct. On an
H0 = 74 scale we then obtain MB = -20.18 ± 0.21,
MV = -20.29 ± 0.20, MI = -19.72 ± 0.18.
The implication is that SN2002bo was a full magnitude more
luminous than other Type Ia supernovae of comparable decline
rate.